What’s baking? Pumpkin whoopie pies!

Posted on by Rebecca Barrettfox

Gazing at a case of whoopie pies–chocolate, peanut butter, red velvet, and other flavors–is perhaps my favorite activity at Lancaster’s Central Market, my favorite place to eat when I’m back home. And pumpkin is my favorite flavor, which is why I created these. They have a cream cheese frosting which is also pretty tasty with red velvet whoopie pies. Hope you enjoy!

This makes 20 oversized pies, 20 regular ones, or 120 minis.

a plate of five mini whoopie pies
an oversized whoopie pie, held in a hand

Ingredients

for the pies

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cardamon
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 (15-ounce/425g) cans pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 8 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 6 cups confectioners’ sugar (360g)

Directions

  1. Preheat over to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk flour, soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs lightly; add brown sugar, oil, and vanilla and beat well.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Spoon onto one baking sheet; for oversized whoopie pies, use two large spoons to create pies about 1.5-2 inches in diameter. For regular size, aim for about half that. For minis, use a teaspoon or small melon baller to dollop them on the baking sheet. Space about 1″ apart. (I can easily fit 36 minis on a baking sheet.)
  6. Bake one sheet at a time: 12-14 minutes for oversized; 10-12 for regular, or 8-10 for minis. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack until thoroughly cool.
  7. In the bowl of stand mixer if you have one, cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and salt and mix another 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar slowly, then, when all is added, mix at high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides as needed.
  8. Use a cake decorating bag to pipe filling half of the pies. Top with remaining half. If you’re feeling fancy, you can roll the sides in sprinkles or toasted, chopped pecans.

Soup’s On: First Snowfall Chili, a Vegan Chili

Posted on by Rebecca Barrettfox

We had our first snowfall today, which means we make chili! We love all kinds of chili around here, but this one isn’t just our favorite vegetarian or vegan chili–it’s our overall favorite. It’s hearty, gloppy and warming without being one-note spicy. Even if you think you don’t like squash or sweet potatoes, give them a try here–they don’t taste like what you might expect.

First Snowfall Chili

Our ingredient list includes convenience items, but you can easily make this using dried beans and fresh tomatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes if you prefer, especially as squash and sweet potatoes are in season and you might have the last of the green tomatoes ripening in your garage or basement when the first snow comes; if using the last of those tomatoes, add a 1-2 inch squeeze of double-concentrated tomato paste to improve their flavor.

You can easily halve or even quarter this recipe if you want to make a smaller batch.

  • 2 glugs of olive oil, to saute onions
  • 2 large yellow onions, chopped or, if you have diners who don’t like the texture of onions, 1-2 onions blended into a liquid
  • ▢ 4 tablespoons chili powder
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons cumin
  • ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
  • ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ▢ 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne powder, optional
  • 8 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped fine
  • 4 28-oz cans of diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 4 19-oz cans of beans, mixing as many as you prefer: dark red kidney, light red kidney, pinto, black beans, cannellini beans, Italian northern beans, or garbanzo beans. We use whatever we have on hand but always include at least one kind of kidney bean, at least one dark bean, and at least one light bean.
  • 1 bag (10-12 oz) frozen, steam-in-the-bag sweet potatoes
  • 1 bag (10-12 oz) frozen, steam-in-the-bag butternut squash
  1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil to glistening and add onions; cook until golden. Add spices, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir another 30 seconds.
  2. Quickly, so that spices do not burn, add tomatoes and brown sugar. Add up to 1/2 can of water if the mixture is thick.
  3. Add beans, including liquid in can. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally to avoid beans sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  4. During this time, cook sweet potatoes and butternut squash according to package directions. Drain of any excess liquid, then add to chili. Be sure that the chili cooks with the sweet potatoes and the squash for at least half an hour.
  5. While you can cook this chili for longer, the longer you cook it, the higher the risk that the beans will become mushy.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings, like Fritos, lime-flavored corn chips, and hot sauce.